Concert Report the Dresden Philharmonic

Concert Report

The Dresden Philharmonic orchestra performed at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts (Knight Concert Hall) on February 20, 2008 at 8 PM. In celebration of the 200th anniversary of Ludwig van Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, the orchestra performed both it and the composer's Piano Concerto No. 5. The opening piece was Ouverture "Freischuetz" by Carl Maria von Weber. Before intermission the Dresden Philharmonic performed the Weber Ouverture and Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, saving the climactic event of Symphony No. 5 for after the break. Encores included Franz Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody and two other pieces not mentioned in the playbill but that were performed with aplomb.

The entire performance was stellar. However, the highlight was by far hearing Beethoven's famous 5th symphony live. Perhaps one of the most recognizable pieces of classical music, Beethoven's 5th symphony erupts into its characteristic crescendo of sound at once: without any warning. I was surprised at how intensely the piece started; it does not build up slowly as other symphonies do. Moreover, the familiar four-note sequence repeats in different keys throughout the piece, which keeps the listener's attention peeled and offers a sense of cohesion even while the music shifts and changes. Having never heard the piece in its entirety before, I was pleasantly surprised at how Beethoven integrated that four-note sequence in different ways, at different times, in different keys. The composer worked in all sections of the orchestra too, creating a balanced work of musical genius.

Both the Dresden Philharmonic orchestra and its conductor Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos worked with the undulations in the symphony to generate the excitement that Beethoven intended for the piece. The first movement begins literally with a bang as the orchestra pumps out the first four notes. Audience members can feel a chill in the air during those four assertive beats because of how familiar and yet how fresh they feel. To transform something so seemingly mundane into something transcendent proves that the Dresden Philharmonic is an excellent group of musicians, headed by a world-class conductor. The first four notes of Beethoven's 5th symphony are so common that the melody has worked its way into rock music, commercial jingles, and all of Western popular culture.

What follows those opening notes are equally if not more impressive, though. Within the first movement, Allegro, alone are layers of melody upon melody, throughout which are interspersed those same four notes, only in different scales. String sections are most prominent in Beethoven's 5th symphony, but the horn, woodwind, and percussion sections enjoy special moments of glory that punctuate the piece and make it come to life with rich musical texture. The symphony is divided into three movements, each of which has a distinct feel. The second movement of the symphony, Adagio un poco mosso, is the most lighthearted part of the piece. Throughout a good portion of the symphony, the theme of the four notes seems to disappear here and there only to resurface when least expect. Beethoven's approach offers a sense of being first lost and then found again: and when we hear the familiar notes we feel a sense of relief.

However, it is difficult to tell precisely when one movement begins and another ends because of the seamlessness of the symphony and also because of the repetition of those certain musical elements. The conductor may play a part in how he or she interprets the piece, so it would be interesting to see Beethoven's 5th be performed again, with another orchestra.

Another surprising feature of the concert was the delicate piano concerto that preceded the intermission. The piano concerto was an excellent introduction to the symphony that followed. At forty minutes long, the concerto was also divided into movements that were indiscernible except to a trained ear. Simone Dinnerstein was the pianist. Her hands moved deftly across the keyboard, often at lightening speed. Once or twice it seemed her playing was slightly off the beat -- or that the bass drum was. Other than that, the performance sounded flawless in its entirety. By far the best, most thrilling portion of the performance were the encores. One of the pieces in the encore was recognizable: the Hungarian Rhapsody by Lizst. The other piece sounded familiar and was in the same up-tempo vein as the Hungarian Rhapsody but I could not identify what it was. The large gold harp that was on stage was used for that encore piece and for no other piece during the entire concert.

Instrumentation included a substantial string section that was spread out along the entire orchestra: the violins and small viola section was staged to the conductor's left and on the first level. Cellos were to his right and in the rows above, and the basses were up on the top row to the conductor's right. Woodwinds were in the middle section, and so were the horns and other brass instruments, which were just above the woodwinds. A few trombones were also tucked to the upper right of the conductor, near the basses. They seemed out of place in the orchestra as the trombone became more popular in jazz and contemporary music. Behind the brass and woodwind section was hidden the bass drum, and to his left were other percussionists but few were present until the lively encores including the Hungarian Rhapsody. During Lizst's piece, several additional symphony members were present including a general percussionist who played the triangle and tambourine at exactly the right moment. Hearing those under-rated and under-appreciated instruments shows how the musicians must strike them at the precise moment: just a millisecond off and the piece would sound horrible.

One of the most fascinating things about watching the Dresden Philharmonic execute Beethoven's 5th symphony was to see how each instrumental section carried out the four-note theme in its own way. For example, the string section is the first to play it. Later, the horns do. Beethoven crafted the piece so that the theme would not just be executed in different keys other than the main C minor. Beethoven also wanted each instrument section to shine in its own way.

Thus, the symphony begins with the resounding booms all played by the string section alone. The violins and violas carry the melody and the string instruments in the lower registers like the cellos and basses accompanied during the crescendo moments. Having heard Beethoven's 5th before, I noticed right after the piece started that the conductor wanted it to be played assertively, with more passion and aggression and speed than usual. The upbeat tempo kept all audience members riveted during the entire performance. During the Allegro section of the symphony, the clarinets and other woodwinds sometimes worked in tandem with the violins and sometimes carried the melody alone but strings were rarely absent from the arrangement. At times, the Allegro and other movements included sections that were almost like anthems: grand, big, all-encompassing loud marching melodies.

The final movement leading up to the coda carries a genuine sense of closure that is unique for a piece of classical music. We can sense the buildup of the piece and know that the ending is not just a pause in between movements but an actual finale. Beethoven uses a series of repetitive melodies layered upon each other to accomplish the buildup. Notes progress in ascending order and therefore leave the listener feeling joyous. Beethoven's 5th symphony is not a somber one. Composed in the early nineteenth century, the piece reflects the transformations taking place throughout Europe and in all of Western civilization. The social and cultural revolutions in France and the United States made democracy the new model for government. A spirit of optimism and independence became engendered in the lives of most people. Music like Beethoven's reflects that spirit.